Annual CARE Walk Tonight to Benefit Breast Cancer Research

September 10, 2019

The Ole Miss College Panhellenic (CPH) organization and its members will walk around the University of Mississippi campus Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 5:30 p.m. in support of those who have been affected by breast cancer. The walk will begin in the Grove.

A group of women walk in the 2018 CARE Walk in support of raising money for breast cancer research. Photo submitted.

The CARE walk is hosted at the University of Mississippi. CARE stands for cancer awareness research eradication. The CARE Walk began more than 17 years ago and is the largest philanthropic event hosted by CPH.

With the support and donations from many Oxford businesses and Ole Miss organizations, CPH is able to support the Baptist Cancer Center and help fund the fight against breast cancer. CPH raised $30,000 last year, and they are striving to raise more this year.

“Money sent to Baptist Memorial Hospital in Oxford goes toward the cancer center and is used for women who cannot afford mammograms to have free mammograms,” said Pirie Maher, vice president of philanthropy for CPH.

Many women show up to support other women and raise money for a cause, they said.

“The CARE walk for me means being able to help raise money and awareness to help families go through what my family and I had to go through,” said Jenna Koonce, active member of Alpha Delta Pi. “I benefit from the CARE walk in no physical way. I benefit by knowing that hopefully I helped get us one step closer to finding a cure and reaching eradication of the disease that way no other family will have to go through the pain of losing a loved one to cancer.”

By walking in the CARE walk, it allows others to honor those affected by breast cancer and share their experiences with so many sorority and Panhellenic sisters who are there to support each other through all of the pain this disease has caused to families.